Cultivating Better Mental Health

May 23, 2018

When it comes to your mental health, you can never do too much to take care of it. If you want to live the happiest, healthiest, best version of your life that you possibly can, being as mentally well as you can be is vital. The good news is there are lots of things we can all do to cultivate better mental health today. Obviously, if you’re really suffering, seeing a doctor and therapist is essential, but anyone can try any of these things for improved mental wellbeing now and in the future…

Express Your Feelings

One of the worst things you can do for your mental health is to bottle up all of your negative feelings and troubling emotions. If you do that, they will fester and grow and you’ll find it hard to stop ruminating over them, which is only going to make things a million times worse. So, talk to a good friend or have a few sessions with a therapist when things are getting overwhelming and you’ll be in much better shape for it.

Do a Little Exercise

It can be extremely difficult to get up and get moving when you’re int he depths of depression or you’re so anxious that you can hear your heart pounding in your head, but if you’re able to push yourself to get up, even if you only do a few stretches in your home or go for a quick walk around the block, it will help by releasing positive endorphins which should make you feel a little better. Do it regularly, and it could help you to avoid poor mental health in the future.

Take Supplements

Supplements like St. John’s Wort for depression and valerian for anxiety can be very effective for many people, so they are always worth trying, but if they don’t work, you should never feel bad about taking Zoloft for depression or considering gabapentin usage for anxiety instead. Whatever helps you to feel more even and able to conquer the day is just fine.

Meditate

Learning how to meditate is much easier than you think – all you need is patience – and you can even use apps like Headspace to do so in your own home in your own time. Why should you bother? Because people who meditate regularly are less likely to suffer from stress, depression, anxiety and racing thoughts than those who don’t. Meditation allows you to take control of your thoughts and to stop them from tying you in knots and making you feel bad. Best of all, you can do it in as little as 20 minutes each day and it will have lasting effects.

Practice a Hobby You Love

Whether you love to knit or you’re crazy about creating metal sculptures, practicing a hobby that keeps you busy and engages body and mind on a regular basis is a great way to keep spirits up and poor mental health at bay.

See Friends

Seeing friends regularly, even if you don’t always feel like it, helps to keep you connected and prevents loneliness from taking hold, It should definitely be part of your mental self-care strategy.